Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,393 in Lachen versus $3,900 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Lachen versus $5,943 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,091 in Lachen versus $7,986 in Lausanne.

Living in Lachen costs roughly 13% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lachen 146% above, Lausanne 183% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.30 CHF 24.73

$30.85 CHF 25.18

-1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 101

$120 CHF 97.9

3.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.36 CHF 13.35

$18.94 CHF 15.45

-13.62%

Cappuccino

$6.57 CHF 5.36

$6.21 CHF 5.07

5.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CHF 4.53

$5.26 CHF 4.30

5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CHF 4.20

$4.32 CHF 3.53

18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 CHF 6.94

$10.68 CHF 8.72

-20.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 CHF 7.83

$9.99 CHF 8.15

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.78

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.79

$4.07 CHF 3.32

-15.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.63

$3.32 CHF 2.71

34.04%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.29

$7.13 CHF 5.82

8.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.76 CHF 21.84

$24.97 CHF 20.38

7.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.93 CHF 21.98

$28.48 CHF 23.25

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.68 CHF 34.02

$40.00 CHF 32.65

4.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.91

$3.73 CHF 3.04

-4.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.77

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 CHF 2.17

$2.62 CHF 2.14

1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 CHF 3.86

$4.76 CHF 3.88

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.63

$1.81 CHF 1.48

10.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.80

$1.99 CHF 1.62

10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$2.05 CHF 1.68

21.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CHF 1.17

$1.71 CHF 1.39

-16.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 9.03

$10.90 CHF 8.90

1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.73 CHF 11.21

$15.21 CHF 12.42

-9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$2.74 CHF 2.23

-18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 CHF 2.28

$3.33 CHF 2.72

-15.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.71 CHF 3.84

$4.55 CHF 3.72

3.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 CHF 73.0

$95.4 CHF 77.8

-6.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 CHF 6.25

$7.80 CHF 6.36

-1.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.86 CHF 3.97

$4.71 CHF 3.85

3.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.4 CHF 71.3

$85.7 CHF 69.9

1.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.84

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-0.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.4K CHF 36.3K

$44.2K CHF 36.1K

0.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.6K CHF 33.1K

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

1.44%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$243 CHF 198

$295 CHF 240

-17.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.92 CHF 26.86

$37.56 CHF 30.65

-12.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 CHF 55.1

$51.2 CHF 41.78

31.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.3 CHF 76.1

$72.5 CHF 59.2

28.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.15 CHF 39.29

$50.4 CHF 41.15

-4.50%

Cinema Ticket

$22.20 CHF 18.11

$24.31 CHF 19.84

-8.68%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,904 CHF 2,370

$3,018 CHF 2,463

-3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.6K CHF 36.4K

$37.2K CHF 30.3K

19.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 118

$145 CHF 118

-0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.3 CHF 73.7

$78.1 CHF 63.8

15.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 120

$144 CHF 118

1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 CHF 144

$217 CHF 177

-19.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 CHF 1,411

$2,280 CHF 1,861

-24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 CHF 1,187

$1,848 CHF 1,508

-21.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,087 CHF 2,519

$4,387 CHF 3,580

-29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 CHF 2,088

$3,275 CHF 2,672

-21.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K CHF 13.1K

$18.8K CHF 15.3K

-14.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

$14.5K CHF 11.8K

-14.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,801 CHF 7,998

$7,014 CHF 5,724

39.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

1.95

-11.79%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lachen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,729 in Lachen and $2,280 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $124 in Lachen vs $120 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $591 vs $597, with Lachen cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lachen vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lachen wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Lausanne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lachen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Lachen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,729 in Lachen versus $2,280 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lachen runs roughly 7% less than in Lausanne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,904 in Lachen versus $3,018 in Lausanne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lachen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lachen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,393 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lachen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lachen and Lausanne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lachen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.